Mission
Counterpart partners with local organizations – formal and informal – to build inclusive, sustainable communities in which their people thrive.

Work in Central America
Counterpart International supports local communities in Central America based on their specific needs. Counterpart’s programs range from working in partnership with coastal communities in the Dominican Republic to reducing violence and corruption in Honduras to increasing food production in Guatemala. In each of our programs, Counterpart helps people build better lives and more durable futures, community by community.

GUATEMALA
Counterpart, through the Improved Technical Support to Farmers program, is working in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture and universities in Guatemala to train rural extension agents. The program increases food security in 35 municipalities in the Western Highlands, revitalizing the agricultural sector by building the capacity of the Ministry of Agriculture and offering improved economic prospects for local farmers and cooperatives. Once the agents are trained, they work with the indigenous women heads of households to develop solutions for their communities and in their households. By addressing not just agricultural production, but household nutrition, health and other community issues, Counterpart is working to decrease rural childhood malnutrition rates. Establishing local ownership of the trainings creates a lasting impact. Counterpart has been working in Guatemala since 2005, with previous programs focused on eco-tourism.

HONDURAS
Counterpart’s community-based conflict and violence prevention programs in Honduras address a number of areas of community concern. The Citizen Participation for Responsive Governance (CPRG) program in Honduras is increasing the transparency and accountability of public institutions through support for civil society-led initiatives, while improving citizen and community safety by strengthening local communities' and governments' ability to prevent crime and violence. To date, the program has successfully advocated for 15 public policies, established 36 community committees that focus on keeping their neighborhoods safe and reached more than 8,000 people through violence prevention initiatives. Counterpart started work in Honduras in 2004 with previous programs focused on eco-tourism and conservation.community-based conflict and violence prevention programs address a number of areas of community concern. The Citizen Participation for Responsive Governance (CPRG) program in Honduras is increasing the transparency and accountability of public institutions through support for civil society-led initiatives, while improving citizen and community safety by strengthening local communities' and governments' ability to prevent crime and violence. To date, the program has successfully advocated for 15 public policies, established 36 Community Committees that focus on keeping their neighborhoods safe and reached more than 8,000 people through violence prevention initiatives. Counterpart started work in Honduras in 2004 with previous programs focused on eco-tourism and conservation.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Counterpart believes in the importance of a sustainable environment for tourism, fishing and local agriculture in the Dominican Republic. Counterpart’s Coastal Community Resiliency Framework in the Dominican Republic, which started in 2014, focuses on improving the provision of sustainable climate-resilient services by coastal communities in the Dominican Republic. The program strengthens the national-level resiliency operating environment; enhances capacity of local institutions to formulate, advocate for, and implement improved coastal climate resiliency strategies and programs; and increases youth opportunities for coastal conservation education and engagement. This framework successfully builds upon previous programs that focused on coral restoration, understanding the carbon currently in mangroves and increasing sustainable tourism. All programs have operated in partnership with local Dominican organizations on the ground. Counterpart has worked in the Dominican Republic since 2008.

The United States' leading domestic hunger-relief charity, Feeding America is able to provide nutritious, fresh foods to emergency relief for disaster victims with the help of local and national food assistance programs.

Our mission is to catalyze a global market for ideas, information, and money that democratizes aid and philanthropy.

Mercy Corps empowers people to survive through crisis, build better lives and transform their communities for good.

The world's largest organization dedicated to volunteer service mobilizes millions of people around the world to meet critical needs in disaster preparedness, response and recovery.

Save the Children does whatever it takes – every day and in times of crisis – transforming children’s lives and the future we share.

Team Rubicon’s primary mission is providing disaster relief to those affected by natural disasters, be they domestic or international. By pairing the skills and experiences of military veterans with first responders, medical professionals, and technology solutions, Team Rubicon aims to provide the greatest service and impact possible.

Privacy Policy

Global Impact respects the privacy of its online visitors and donors. At our site, we do not collect personally identifiable information from individuals unless they provide it to us voluntarily and knowingly. This means we do not require you to register or provide information to us in order to view public areas of our site. Global Impact only gathers personally identifiable data that is voluntarily submitted by the visitor, such as names, addresses, zip/postal codes and e-mail addresses.

Tax Deductible Donations

Global Impact is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Your contribution is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. No goods or services were provided in exchange for your generous financial donation. We recommend donors outside the US consult their own tax adviser regarding the applicability of any state, local and foreign tax laws. Global Impact makes no claims or assertions to the tax implications of this contribution outside of the United States.

Information Collection

Global Impact is the sole owner of the information collected on our website. We collect information from our visitors at several different points, and we do not sell or trade it.

Donations

We request information from the visitor on our donation form. A visitor must provide contact information (such as name, e-mail and mailing address) and payment information (such as credit card number and expiration date). This information is used for billing purposes and for sending a receipt of the donation. If we have trouble processing a donation, we use the information to contact the visitor. If the visitor has expressly given us permission, we may share his or her name and contact information with carefully selected organizations and charities that we feel would interest that donor. Where requested by the visitor, we will provide information on larger donations to appropriate charities and donors for tax purposes. Financial and credit card information is NEVER released.

Card Transaction Security

All communications initiated by embedded donation forms are transmitted via Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). The SSL protocol is the industry standard method for creating an encrypted and secure connection between your web browser and a web server. Global Impact has partnered with Acceptiva to assist in the processing of transactions.

Contact Us

For technical support and website questions, please contact Global Impact at support@charity.org.

Frequently Asked Questions

Hilton Responds is a Disaster Support Fund through which Hilton, any Hilton property within the portfolio, corporate offices and Team Members may contribute funds that support communities around the world. The Hilton Responds Fund (the Fund) provides support to Team Members and organizations as they help communities respond to disasters. The Fund is a Dondor Advised Fund (DAF), which provides a vehicle where donations may be made on behalf of the company or individuals. A DAF provides an alternative to a company foundation and allows for Hilton to match donations made by Team Members, properties, and corporate and regional offices. Below are answers to frequently asked questions about the Fund.

What is a Donor Advised Fund and why does Hilton have one?

A donor-advised fund, or DAF, is a philanthropic vehicle established at a public organization where donations may be made on behalf of a company or individuals. It provides an alternative to a company foundation and allows for Hilton to match donations made by Team Members, corporate and regional offices, and properties.

As the frequency of disasters increases globally, the compassion of our Team Members grows. It is the responsibility of Hilton to provide a safe platform where Team Member giving is transparent and accountable, and within which recipient organizations are required to allocate funds as directed to provide support where disasters are occurring The Fund also allows Hilton to respond, when appropriate, by matching donations to increase the impact and assistance that we can offer in preparing for and recovering from disasters.

Is the DAF available to all Team Members?

Yes the DAF is available to all Team Members that have been impacted by a disaster that a campaign has been launched for. Any Team Member that has been impacted can apply for assistance from the Hilton Responds fund, however the Property will need to fill out the packet as the funds will be disbursed to the property and from there, the property will issue the funds to the Team Member. Please reach out to corporateresponsibility@hilton.com for a corresponding Hilton Responds packet.

Funds are available to all full-time Team Members regardless of ownership (managed, franchised etc.).

Is my donation tax deductible?

The DAF managing organization, Global Impact, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Your contribution is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. No goods or services are ever provided in exchange for financial donations. We recommend donors outside the United States consult their own tax adviser regarding the applicability of any state, local and foreign tax laws. Hilton and Global lmpact make no claims or assertions to the tax implications of contributions outside of the United States.

What methods of payment are acceptable when making a donation to the Hilton Responds Fund?

Donations may be made online at www.hiltonresponds.com by using a major credit card. Team Members may also mail a check to the address on the website, and properties that collect team donations may also send a wire transfer by contacting christina.hadden@charity.org.

Why is my donation to the Fund important?

By donating to the Fund, Team Members can be confident that their donation is contributing toward the resiliency of disaster prone and disaster impacted communities where we live, work and travel. Together our dollars have greater impact. By creating a Fund where donations may be contributed ahead of time in preparation for disasters, we can make this process easier for our Team Members and respond to communities faster and with the right level of support. The Fund also gives us a vehicle to recognize our Team Members' generosity through a matching gifts program.

How are the approved organizations selected, and can my local disaster response organization be added to the Fund?

Working with experts in the disaster relief field, Global lmpact and Hilton have selected organizations for the Fund that are able to and most likely to be responding to disasters globally. For a list of Fund participants, please visit www.hiltonresponds.com. All organizations were required to meet specific criteria that include proof of response, an ability to track funding, a guarantee regarding how funds will be used and an agreement to report on those funds. A variety of disaster response skill sets including capacity building, response and recovery also were considered when selecting the Fund participants. Participation in the Fund is NOT a guarantee that funding will be received. Organizations must provide proof that they are engaged in the impacted community and validate their plan of action before funding will be released. Organizations will be evaluated on a regular basis and changes will be made as deemed necessary by the Advisory Committee.

Additionally, there is opportunity to select up to four local organizations to receive funding during any disaster; these organizations will be selected by a committee comprised of Hilton Team Members and Global Impact employees. All local organizations chosen will be required to meet the same stringent guidelines as the existing Fund participants.

Can we still donate to our local first responders during disasters?

Great care was taken in selecting the Fund participants, and while Hilton does not mandate where individual Team Member or property collected donations are allocated during disaster, we hope that those making donations to disaster relief or disaster agencies will seriously consider the Fund. All Fund partners are vetted against strict criteria, and donors are able to make donations either directly to a current disaster campaign where funds are guaranteed to impact survivors of the specific disaster, or to the general Fund which allows Hilton the discretion to fund disaster capacity building, disaster response and/or disaster recovery efforts in the communities where we live, work and travel.

Why are the majority of partners US-based?

The organizations represented in the Fund were all chosen for their ability to respond either regionally or globally. The headquarters of the organizations were not considered when determining the best relationships to have in the disaster space. When responding to a specific disaster, we have the ability to choose up to four additional local organizations that meet the response criteria for receiving funds. Those organizations will be chosen only when we are responding to a disaster financially.

Who decides which charities receive funds?

When it is decided that Fund money will be used to support a disaster the Global impact team will reach out to the identified Fund organizations to ascertain who has "boots on the ground" responding to that particular disaster and the scale of their efforts. Those organizations that have "on the ground presence" will be eligible to receive funds. Global Impact will communicate on a regular basis with those organizations for regular updates on their efforts. These updates will help inform distribution decisions and ensure that meaningful donations can be made to those organizations having the most impact on the ground. For organizations that meet the funding criteria and have been selected to receive funds, money will be distributed in equal amounts to each eligible organization. This vetting process and subsequent equitable distribution ensures that meaningful donations may be made to each organization, and also that Hilton is not seen to show favoritism toward any one organization or charity. Each organization that accepts distributions from the Fund will be required to certify that they will restrict the funds' use to the particular disaster.

How will money raised be used?

Donations made to the general fund will be used to help our properties lead resiliency and preparedness efforts, support disaster relief and recovery efforts when appropriate. Donations made to specific disaster campaigns (such as Typhoon Haiyan or Hurricane Harvey Relief), will go directly to Team Members impacted first and then to Fund organizations participating in relief and rebuilding efforts.

Are all of my donations to the Fund matched by Hilton?

Hilton will launch designated matching campaigns at select times during each calendar year. Additionally, there may be disasters of such magnitude (like the Japan Tsunami. Typhoon Haiyan and Hurricane Irma) that Hilton feels a responsibility to respond to Team Member donations by launching a matching campaign. The Corporate Responsibility team monitors all disasters on a daily basis. Using information from FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) and OCHA (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Efforts) as well as an internal assessment tool. determines whether to launch a disaster campaign. Once the scale of Hilton's response has been determined, a decision will be made about whether to launch a corporate match. This decision will generally follow the scale of the activation, but ultimately, the decision is flexible based on the needs of the local community and the business impact for Hilton.

Will Hilton now respond to every disaster using funds from the Fund?

Disasters are happening daily around the world. In order to affect the greatest impact on disaster recovery and rebuilding, Hilton will need to evaluate each disaster on a case-by-case basis. Criteria set forth by FEMA and OCHA as well as an internal set of criteria will be used to evaluate each disaster to determine the appropriate response. Responses may include: raising awareness; setting up a specific disaster campaign in the Fund to which Team Members may donate money knowing with confidence that their donation will go directly to aid disaster survivors; or launching a matching campaign through the Fund.

Why are we only matching donations made toward disasters?

The DAF is a grant-making vehicle for Hilton and it gives us a transparent and seamless way to match Team Member donations. Disaster has been a consistent passion point for Team Members around the world, and it makes sense to use this as a matching program. By creating a Fund where donations may be contributed ahead of time in preparation for disasters, we can make this process easier for our Team Members and respond to communities faster and with the right level of support. The Fund also gives us a vehicle to recognize our Team Members' generosity through a matching gifts program.

Am I required to make a contribution to the Fund?

Donating to the Fund is absolutely voluntary. As we have seen during past disasters and other global events, Team Members are inspired to support communities in their times need. The Fund was created to facilitate Team Members assistance, donations and offer a transparent and traceable way to see how funds are being used and accounted for by the recipient organizations. Our intent is to create a uniform platform for Team Member and company donations and offer a matching program during designated times of the year.

How do I find out if Hilton has activated a disaster response campaign?

It takes 72 hours for first responders to determine the full impact of a disaster and perform a comprehensive needs assessment. Within this time frame, Hilton works with its partners to assess the devastation against all of the response criteria. When the company is responding there will be notifications on The Lobby, NOW, Brand Newsletters and/or www.hiltonresponds.com.

Do funds assist Team Members who have been impacted by disaster?

Yes, that is the main focus of the Hilton Responds fund. Hilton is striving to find ways to make funding available to Team Members directly affected by disaster and for whom there is no other financial assistance.

We have a rich history of community investment, and our founder’s legacy of generosity permeates throughout our organization; it is our responsibility to support our Team Members and the communities’ where we live, work and travel in times of crisis.

Each year, approximately 275 million people worldwide are affected by natural and man-made disasters. Team Members and franchise employees have consistently displayed a passion for supporting the communities where disaster strikes. The Hilton Responds Fund was developed to act as a vehicle for Hilton Team Members and franchise employees to donate voluntary funds to support short-term relief and long-term rebuilding efforts following a disaster.

Current Fund recipients are some of the world’s most respected organizations that are enabling Hilton to support disaster relief and humanitarian efforts. A complete list of supported organizations is listed below (or can be found here).